State investigating Abbey Flooring owners

Action News has learned the state is now investigating the owners of Abbey Flooring and Design Center.

Since it closed last week nearly 20 customers and more than a handful of sub-contractors have come forward saying Abbey Flooring owes them each more than $10 thousand.

The owners, Gary and Glennyce Cropper, didn't want to talk on camera.

They told Action News they want the truth heard but it will have to come from their attorney.

The Croppers used to run Abbey Flooring but the sign has been taken down since the place closed last week.

The owners of Abbey Flooring refused to answer questions Thursday about their store's closing.

Several items still remain inside the storefront but Abbey Flooring and Design Center is no more, at least not in the same building.

As we've been reporting customers say they are left with contracted work for remodels that was never finished.

Many say Abbey Flooring collected at least 50 percent of the final price up front.

The Contractors State License Board which investigates these types of cases says that's against the law.

After taking our calls the board launched an investigation into Abbey Flooring and its owners, Gary and Glennyce Cropper.

So far there are 6 complaints against them.

A CSLB spokesman says if the accusations are proven the Croppers could lose their contractors license.

"We also would investigate it and could potentially turn something over to the prosecutors in Fresno County to prosecute them with criminal charges," Rick Lopes of the CSLB said.

Blair Looney of the Central California Better Business Bureau said 18 consumers claim the Croppers took more than $250 thousand dollars from them.

"We're gathering information to help with that investigation, helping them coordinate their paperwork. If they have canceled checks, work orders, contracts, they have their package to ether to help the CSLB as well as the district attorney's office," Looney said.

A former designer with Abbey Flooring asked us not to identify her.

She claims after several bounced checks or skipped pay days the Croppers owe her thousands of dollars in commission. She says she quit after 10 weeks because the Croppers seemed to only care about collecting money.

"The money would be collected and jobs would be promised to be done in a certain amount of time. The subs weren't being paid, so the jobs weren't being done in time. Or a product wasn't being paid for, even though they were getting 50% down of these jobs?" the employee told Action News.